Pollinator Plants for the Midwest Region Was Produced by the Xerces® Society

Total Page:16

File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb

Pollinator Plants for the Midwest Region Was Produced by the Xerces® Society POLLINATOR PLANTS Midwest Region Showy goldenrod, field thistle, and swamp milkweed In the Midwestern states of Iowa, Missouri, Illinois, and This guide features plants native to the Midwest that are Indiana, a wealth of plant diversity grows in lush tallgrass highly attractive to pollinators and are well-suited for small- prairies, as well as in oak savannas, windswept lakeshore scale plantings in gardens, on business and school campuses, dunes, shallow soils and rocky slopes of glades, and within in urban greenspaces, and in farm field borders. In addition to deciduous forests. supporting native bees and honey bees, many of these plants The native plants of the Midwest support a diverse attract nectar-seeking butterflies, moths, and hummingbirds, range of pollinators including thousands of species of native and some are host plants for butterfly and moth caterpillars. bees, butterflies, beetles, flies, wasps, and moths. The Midwest Most of these species can be purchased as seed or transplants, region is an important breeding area for the monarch and are adaptable to growing conditions found across the butterfly (Danaus plexippus) and is also home to several Midwest. Please consult regional Floras, the Biota of North imperiled species of bumble bees and butterflies, including America’s North American Plant Atlas (http://bonap.net/ the endangered rusty patched bumble bee (Bombus affinis). napa), or the USDA’s PLANTS database (http://plants.usda. Pollinators in the Midwest maintain healthy, productive plant gov) for details on species’s distributions in your area. communities, provide food that sustains wildlife, and play an essential role in crop production. Providing wildflower-rich habitat is the most significant action you can take to support pollinators. Adult bees, Our Bring Back the Pollinators campaign is based on four principles: 1. Grow a variety of pollinator-friendly flowers; butterflies, and other pollinators require nectar as their 2. Protect and provide bee nest sites and caterpillar host plants; primary food source. Female bees also collect pollen as food 3. Avoid using pesticides, especially insecticides; and for their offspring. Native plants, which are adapted to local 4. Spread the word! soils and climates, are usually the best sources of nectar and You can participate by taking the pollen for native pollinators. Incorporating native wildflowers, Pollinator Protection Pledge and shrubs, and trees into any landscape promotes local biological registering your habitat on our nationwide map at: diversity by providing shelter and food for wildlife. Native www.bringbackthepollinators.org. plants are better adapted to regional climate cycles, do not need fertilizers, and are less likely to become weedy. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 Max. This list of pollinator plants for the Midwest Region was produced by the Xerces® Society. Bloom Period Common Name Scientific Name Flower Color Water Needs Notes Height* For more information about pollinator conservation, please visit www.xerces.org. L: low; M: (Feet) Forbs medium; H: high All species are perennials, unless otherwise noted. *Max. Height is an average, individual plants may vary. HP = host plant (caterpillar) 1 Cream wild indigo Baptisia bracteata cream 2 L Visited by queen bumble bees (Bombus spp.) and other long-tongued bees; HP: numerous butterflies and skippers Early 2 Golden Alexanders Zizia aurea yellow 3 H Tolerates some shade; attracts bees and beneficial insects; HP: black swallowtails (Papilio polyxenes) 3 Wild geranium Geranium maculatum pink 1 M Prefers partial but tolerates full sun; attracts mining (Andrena spp.), mason (Osmia spp.), digger, and bumble bees; HP: several moths Early–Mid 4 Smooth penstemon Penstemon digitalis white 2 M Grows in a variety of soils; visited by butterflies, moths, and bees, including honey bees 5 Narrowleaf mountain mint Pycnanthemum tenuifolium white 2.5 M Fragrant foliage; visited by blue and copper butterflies, many bees (including honey bees), flies, beetles, and other beneficials 6 Pale purple coneflower Echinacea pallida purple 3 L Withstands drought well; attractive to a wide range of pollinators, and a key nectar source for skippers Mid 7 Purple prairie clover Dalea purpurea purple 2 L Legume (contributes nitrogen to the soil); very attractive to many bees, as well as butterflies, flies, and beetles 8 Swamp milkweed Asclepias incarnata pink 5 M–H Milkweeds (Asclepias spp.) are host plants for the monarch butterfly Danaus( plexippus); great nectar sources for bees and beneficials 9 Wild bergamot Monarda fistulosa purple 4 M Hawk moths, hummingbirds, and long-tongued bees (such as bumble bees) are common visitors 10 Culver's root Veronicastrum virginicum white 5 M Does well in average to wet soil; flowering stalks may need support in gardens 11 Field thistle Cirsium discolor purple 6 M Distinct from invasive, non-native thistles; very important for butterflies and bumble bees; grows as a perennial or biennial 12 Missouri ironweed Vernonia missurica purple 5 M Grows under a variety of conditions; ironweed species (Vernonia spp.) attract late summer butterflies and bees Mid–Late 13 Prairie blazing star Liatris pycnostachya purple 5 M Blazing stars (Liatris spp.) support bees as well as many butterflies including monarchs, swallowtails, skippers, and sulfurs 14 Rattlesnake master Eryngium yuccifolium white 6 M Attracts incredible insect diversity and is the host plant for the rattlesnake master borer moth (Papaipema eryngii) 15 Yellow giant hyssop Agastache nepetoides yellow 6 M–H Flowers may appear green from a distance; attractive to bees (including honey bees), butterflies, and some beneficial insects 16 Gray goldenrod Solidago nemoralis yellow 2 L Blooms later than most goldenrods; in addition to attracting pollinators, goldenrods are host plants for numerous moth species 17 Showy goldenrod Solidago speciosa yellow 5 M Goldenrods (Solidago spp.) are frequented by beneficial solitary wasps, pollen-eating soldier beetles, honey bees, and much more Late 18 Smooth blue aster Symphyotrichum laeve blue 4 L Grows in a variety of soils; visited by butterflies, moths, bees, beneficial wasps, and flies; HP: many moths species 19 Wingstem Verbesina alternifolia yellow 6 M Shade-tolerant, grows well in rain gardens; attracts butterflies and bees (great for honey bees); possibly limited in nurseries Shrubs and Trees 20 Cockspur hawthorn Crataegus crus-galli white 35 L Adapts well to many growing conditions; supports a variety of bees; attracts songbirds; HP: over 25 species of moths Early 21 Ninebark Physocarpus opulifolius white 8 M Tolerates some shade and a variety of soil conditions; attracts bees, butterflies, beneficial wasps, and flies 22 Prairie willow Salix humilis white/ green 8 L Important for spring pollinators; pollen-producing and nectar-producing flowers found on separate shrubs; supports songbirds 23 Buttonbush Cephalanthus occidentalis white 12 H Prefers moist soil, great for rain gardens; attracts bees, butterflies, and skippers; HP: several moths Mid 24 Lead plant Amorpha canescens purple 3 L Tolerates a variety of soil types (prefers drier soils and full sun); attracts leafcutter bees (Megachile spp.), honey bees, and other insects 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 Max. This list of pollinator plants for the Midwest Region was produced by the Xerces® Society. Bloom Period Common Name Scientific Name Flower Color Water Needs Notes Height* For more information about pollinator conservation, please visit www.xerces.org. L: low; M: (Feet) Forbs medium; H: high All species are perennials, unless otherwise noted. *Max. Height is an average, individual plants may vary. HP = host plant (caterpillar) 1 Cream wild indigo Baptisia bracteata cream 2 L Visited by queen bumble bees (Bombus spp.) and other long-tongued bees; HP: numerous butterflies and skippers Early 2 Golden Alexanders Zizia aurea yellow 3 H Tolerates some shade; attracts bees and beneficial insects; HP: black swallowtails (Papilio polyxenes) 3 Wild geranium Geranium maculatum pink 1 M Prefers partial but tolerates full sun; attracts mining (Andrena spp.), mason (Osmia spp.), digger, and bumble bees; HP: several moths Early–Mid 4 Smooth penstemon Penstemon digitalis white 2 M Grows in a variety of soils; visited by butterflies, moths, and bees, including honey bees 5 Narrowleaf mountain mint Pycnanthemum tenuifolium white 2.5 M Fragrant foliage; visited by blue and copper butterflies, many bees (including honey bees), flies, beetles, and other beneficials 6 Pale purple coneflower Echinacea pallida purple 3 L Withstands drought well; attractive to a wide range of pollinators, and a key nectar source for skippers Mid 7 Purple prairie clover Dalea purpurea purple 2 L Legume (contributes nitrogen to the soil); very attractive to many bees, as well as butterflies, flies, and beetles 8 Swamp milkweed Asclepias incarnata pink 5 M–H Milkweeds (Asclepias spp.) are host plants for the monarch butterfly Danaus( plexippus); great nectar sources for bees and beneficials 9 Wild bergamot Monarda fistulosa purple 4 M Hawk moths, hummingbirds, and long-tongued bees (such as bumble bees) are common visitors 10 Culver's root Veronicastrum virginicum white 5 M Does well in average to wet soil; flowering stalks may need support in gardens 11 Field thistle Cirsium discolor purple 6 M Distinct from invasive, non-native thistles; very important for butterflies and bumble bees; grows as a perennial or biennial 12 Missouri ironweed Vernonia missurica
Recommended publications
  • Amorpha Canescens Pursh Leadplant
    leadplant, Page 1 Amorpha canescens Pursh leadplant State Distribution Best Survey Period Photo by Susan R. Crispin Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec Status: State special concern the Mississippi valley through Arkansas to Texas and in the western Great Plains from Montana south Global and state rank: G5/S3 through Wyoming and Colorado to New Mexico. It is considered rare in Arkansas and Wyoming and is known Other common names: lead-plant, downy indigobush only from historical records in Montana and Ontario (NatureServe 2006). Family: Fabaceae (pea family); also known as the Leguminosae. State distribution: Of Michigan’s more than 50 occurrences of this prairie species, the vast majority of Synonym: Amorpha brachycarpa E.J. Palmer sites are concentrated in southwest Lower Michigan, with Kalamazoo, St. Joseph, and Cass counties alone Taxonomy: The Fabaceae is divided into three well accounting for more than 40 of these records. Single known and distinct subfamilies, the Mimosoideae, outlying occurrences have been documented in the Caesalpinioideae, and Papilionoideae, which are last two decades from prairie remnants in Oakland and frequently recognized at the rank of family (the Livingston counties in southeast Michigan. Mimosaceae, Caesalpiniaceae, and Papilionaceae or Fabaceae, respectively). Of the three subfamilies, Recognition: Leadplant is an erect, simple to sparsely Amorpha is placed within the Papilionoideae (Voss branching shrub ranging up to ca. 1 m in height, 1985). Sparsely hairy plants of leadplant with greener characterized by its pale to grayish color derived from leaves have been segregated variously as A. canescens a close pubescence of whitish hairs that cover the plant var.
    [Show full text]
  • Species List For: Labarque Creek CA 750 Species Jefferson County Date Participants Location 4/19/2006 Nels Holmberg Plant Survey
    Species List for: LaBarque Creek CA 750 Species Jefferson County Date Participants Location 4/19/2006 Nels Holmberg Plant Survey 5/15/2006 Nels Holmberg Plant Survey 5/16/2006 Nels Holmberg, George Yatskievych, and Rex Plant Survey Hill 5/22/2006 Nels Holmberg and WGNSS Botany Group Plant Survey 5/6/2006 Nels Holmberg Plant Survey Multiple Visits Nels Holmberg, John Atwood and Others LaBarque Creek Watershed - Bryophytes Bryophte List compiled by Nels Holmberg Multiple Visits Nels Holmberg and Many WGNSS and MONPS LaBarque Creek Watershed - Vascular Plants visits from 2005 to 2016 Vascular Plant List compiled by Nels Holmberg Species Name (Synonym) Common Name Family COFC COFW Acalypha monococca (A. gracilescens var. monococca) one-seeded mercury Euphorbiaceae 3 5 Acalypha rhomboidea rhombic copperleaf Euphorbiaceae 1 3 Acalypha virginica Virginia copperleaf Euphorbiaceae 2 3 Acer negundo var. undetermined box elder Sapindaceae 1 0 Acer rubrum var. undetermined red maple Sapindaceae 5 0 Acer saccharinum silver maple Sapindaceae 2 -3 Acer saccharum var. undetermined sugar maple Sapindaceae 5 3 Achillea millefolium yarrow Asteraceae/Anthemideae 1 3 Actaea pachypoda white baneberry Ranunculaceae 8 5 Adiantum pedatum var. pedatum northern maidenhair fern Pteridaceae Fern/Ally 6 1 Agalinis gattingeri (Gerardia) rough-stemmed gerardia Orobanchaceae 7 5 Agalinis tenuifolia (Gerardia, A. tenuifolia var. common gerardia Orobanchaceae 4 -3 macrophylla) Ageratina altissima var. altissima (Eupatorium rugosum) white snakeroot Asteraceae/Eupatorieae 2 3 Agrimonia parviflora swamp agrimony Rosaceae 5 -1 Agrimonia pubescens downy agrimony Rosaceae 4 5 Agrimonia rostellata woodland agrimony Rosaceae 4 3 Agrostis elliottiana awned bent grass Poaceae/Aveneae 3 5 * Agrostis gigantea redtop Poaceae/Aveneae 0 -3 Agrostis perennans upland bent Poaceae/Aveneae 3 1 Allium canadense var.
    [Show full text]
  • Michigan Technical Note USDA-Natural Resources
    Michigan Technical Note USDA-Natural Resources Conservation Service BIOLOGY TECH NOTE #18 Attracting Beneficial Insects with Native Flowering Plants Date: December 2012 GENERAL INFORMATION Following for your use and distribution is a technical note, Attracting Beneficial Insects with Native Flowering Plants. This is Michigan State University Extension Bulleting E2973, revised January, 2008, authored by Anna Fielder, Julianna Tuell, Rufus Isaacs, and Doug Landis and is used by permission of the authors. Biology #18 NRCS, Michigan TGN 251 December 2012 Extension Bulletin E-2973 • Revised • January 2008 Attracting Beneficial Insects NATURAL ENEMIES POLLINATORS with Native Flowering Plants ome insects eat other insects and can provide natural pest control on farms and in gardens. These natural ollinating insects play a J. Tuell J. Tuell Colletidae (cellophane bees, not Anna Fiedler, Julianna Tuell, Rufus Isaacs, and Doug Landis enemies can be divided into two groups — predators and parasitoids. Many predators and parasitoids are critical role in maintaining shown). Some of the more com- Department of Entomology, Michigan State University Sattracted to flowering plants, where they obtain pollen and nectar that help increase their life span and ability P productive natural plant mon species in these groups are to lay eggs. The table in this bulletin can be used to select plants that provide flowers for these insects through the communities, and they also polli- pictured here. growing season. nate most crop plants grown for Most bee species are solitary their fruits, vegetables, nuts, (each female produces offspring in Howard Russell Jim Kalisch & Tom Clark, University of Nebraska-Lincoln seeds, and fiber. Bees are excel- Predators eat many Parasitoids seek Honey bee Bumble bee her own nest), with only one gen- lent pollinators because they prey in a lifetime, feed- other insects as hosts J.
    [Show full text]
  • Saturday- June 2, 9 Am-Noon Honeybee, Butterflies and Disease and Pests, and Do Not Need Skippers
    Compass Plant (Silphium laciniatum) Size: 8 feet Light: Full, partial Soil: Medium-wet to dry Blooms: Early to late summer Attracts: Several variety of bees, some butterflies including monarchs Culver’s Root (Veronicastrum virginicum) Individual plants are priced $1 through $7 Size: 5 feet Light: Full, partial Groups of plants priced up to $20 Soil: Medium-wet to dry Cash or check are accepted. Blooms: Early to mid summer Attracts: Several variety of bees, some butterflies and moths Limited amount available Downy Wood Mint • Native plants are beneficial to the (Blephilia ciliata) physical environment. Size: 12 inches Native plants have adapted to local Light: Full, partial conditions and have develop deep and Soil: Medium to dry extensive root systems. This conserves Blooms: Early summer water and holds soil in place preventing Attracts: Bees including the erosion. They are naturally resistant to Saturday- June 2, 9 am-Noon honeybee, butterflies and disease and pests, and do not need skippers. Deer resistant artificial fertilizers or synthetic pesticides. or until plants are sold Hairy Mountain Mint (Pycnanthemum verticillatum var. pilosum) • Native plants are beneficial to wildlife. Native plants evolved with indigenous Held at The Nature Institute’s greenhouse, Size: 3 feet fauna and fill an important niche in the Light: Full, partial ecosystem. They provide habitat and on the left past the intersection of S. Levis Soil: Medium to medium-dry food for butterflies and moths, bees, Blooms: Mid to late summer and Levis Ln near Cypress Pond in hummingbirds, songbirds, beneficial Attracts: One of THE natives to insects, and mammals. have to attract pollinators.
    [Show full text]
  • Master Rain Gardener Plant List for Washtenaw County (PDF)
    Master Rain Garden Plant List Washtenaw County Rain Garden Program This list is not meant to be exhaustive, but rather a record of the plants that have worked in the Washtenaw County Rain Garden program. See list at end for discussion of plants that were not successful. Native? N =Native, C=Cultivar of a Native ("Nativar"), NFH =Not from around Here Sun/Shade: Sn =sun, P=part sun, Moisture: D =Dry, M=Medium, Ms =Moist, W=Wet Perennials Bloom Bloom Plant Deer Sun/ Mois- Scientific Name Common Name Color Height Time Spacing Resistant? Native? Source Size Shade ture Comments Shade / Part Shade Adiantum pedatum Maidenhair Fern n/a 12" 12" o.c. Y N WT 3" pot P, Sh M, Ms short plant, beautiful lacey texture. Resents the dry. Aquligea canadensis Columbine Red/Yellow 12-36" May 12" o.c. Y N WT plug P, Sh D, M, Ms delicate texture, great for woodland setting gal. or #1 good low, facer plant with interesting heart-shaped leaves that form a contrast texture, straight native species, but WT Asarum canadense Wild Ginger Maroon 8" May 12" o.c. Y N CPC or HT pot P, Sh M, Ms not cultivating at this time Asclepias incarnata Swamp Milkweed Pink/Purple 3-4' July 12" o.c. Y N WT plug P, Sh M, Ms, W when full grown, a little leggy-looking and needs plants in front, good for clay Carex grayii Gray's Sedge n/a 18" May/June 18" Y N WT plug P, Sh M, Ms interesting seed heads if get close Carex sprengelii Sprengel's Sedge n/a 18" May/June 18" Y N WT plug P, Sh D, M, Ms clumper, good for drier edges, seed heads shoot up 2-3' a little picky, likes moist best, narrow form, can be short lived but will re-seed if happy, aesthetically best used with Lobelia cardinalis Cardinal Flower red 3' July-Aug 12" o.c.
    [Show full text]
  • Pollinator Biology and Habitat
    POLLINATOR BIOLOGY AND HABITAT Michigan Biology Technical Note No. 20 April 2013 (rev 3/2014) Introduction results in more efficient pollination and the production of larger and more abundant fruit from certain crops. This technical note provides information on how to Native bees contribute at least $3 billion worth of crop plan for, protect, and create habitat for pollinators in pollination annually to the U.S. economy, which is agricultural settings. Pollinators are an integral part of likely a conservative estimate. A 2012 study in our environment and our agricultural systems; they are California, for example, found that native bees there important in 35% of global crop production. Animal are likely responsible for between $900 million and pollinators include bees, butterflies, moths, wasps, $2.4 billion in crop production. This suggests that the flies, beetles, ants, bats, and hummingbirds. This role of wild native bees may be much greater than technical note focuses on native bees, the most earlier estimates. important pollinators in temperate North America, but also addresses the habitat needs of butterflies and, to a Undeveloped areas on and close to farms can serve as lesser degree, other beneficial insects. long-term refugia for native wild pollinators. Protecting, enhancing or providing habitat is the best way to conserve native pollinators and, at the same time, provide pollen and nectar resources that support local honey bees; on farms with sufficient natural habitat, native pollinators can provide all of the pollination for some crops. Habitat enhancement for native pollinators on farms, especially with native plants, provides multiple benefits. In addition to supporting pollinators, native plant habitat will attract beneficial insects that are predators or parasitoids of crop pests and lessen the need for pesticides on your farm.
    [Show full text]
  • Flora and Plant Coummunities of Deer Park Prairie
    THE VASCULAR FLORA AND PLANT COMMUNITIES OF LAWTHER - DEER PARK PRAIRIE, HARRIS COUNTY, TEXAS, U.S.A. Jason R. Singhurst Jeffrey N. Mink Wildlife Diversity Program 176 Downsville Road Texas Parks & Wildlife Department Robinson, Texas 76706-7276, U.S.A. 4200 Smith School Road [email protected] Austin, Texas 78744, U.S.A. [email protected] [email protected] Katy Emde, Lan Shen, Don Verser Walter C. Holmes Houston Chapter of Department of Biology Native Prairie Association of Texas Baylor University 2700 Southwest Fwy. Waco, Texas 76798-7388, U.S.A. Houston, Texas 77098, U.S.A. [email protected] ABSTRACT Field studies at the Lawther - Deer Park Prairie Preserve, an area of approximately 21 ha (51 acres) of the Gulf Coast Prairies and Marshes vegetation area, have resulted in a description of the vegetation associations and an annotated checklist of the vascular flora. Six plant com- munity associations occur on the property: (1) the Upper Texas Coast Ingleside Sandy Wet Prairie; (2) Eastern Gamagrass - Switchgrass - Yellow Indiangrass Herbaceous Vegetation; (3) Gulf Cordgrass Herbaceous Vegetation; (4) Texas Gulf Coast Live Oak - Sugarberry Forest; (5) Little Bluestem - Slender Bluestem - Big Bluestem Herbaceous Vegetation, and (6) Natural Depressional Ponds. The checklist includes 407 species belonging to 247 genera and 86 families. Forty-six species are non-native. The best-represented families (with species number following) are Poaceae (84), Asteraceae (68), Cyperaceae (33), and Fabaceae (19). West Gulf Coastal Plain (eastern Texas and western Louisiana) endemics include Helenium drummondii, Liatris acidota, Oenothera lindheimeri, and Rudbeckia texana. One Texas endemic, Chloris texensis, a Species of Greater Conservation Need, is present.
    [Show full text]
  • Selecting Plants for Pollinators Selecting Plants for Pollinators
    Selecting Plants for Pollinators A Regional Guide for Farmers, Land Managers, and Gardeners In the Ozark Broadleaf Forest Meadow Province Including Parts of Arkansas and and Oklahoma NAPPC Table of CONTENTS Why Support Pollinators? 4 Getting Started 5 Ozark Broadleaf Forest 6 Meet the Pollinators 8 Plant Traits 10 Developing Plantings 12 Far ms 13 Public Lands 14 Home Landscapes 15 Bloom Periods 16 Plants That Attract Pollinators 18 Habitat Hints 20 Check list 22 Resources and Feedback 23 This is one of several guides for different regions in the United States. We welcome your feedback to assist us in making the future guides useful. Please contact us at [email protected] 2 Selecting Plants for Pollinators Selecting Plants for Pollinators A Regional Guide for Farmers, Land Managers, and Gardeners In the Ecological Region of the Ozark Broadleaf Forest Meadow Province Including Parts of Arkansas and Oklahoma a nappc and Pollinator Partnership™ Publication This guide was funded by the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, the C.S. Fund, the Plant Conservation Alliance, the U.S. Forest Service, and the Bureau of Land Management with oversight by the Pollinator Partnership™ (www.pollinator.org), in support of the North American Pollinator Protection Campaign (NAPPC–www.nappc.org). Ozark Broadleaf Forest – Meadow Province 3 Why support pollinators? In theIr 1996 book, the Forgotten PollInators, Buchmann and Nabhan estimated that animal pollinators are needed for the reproduction “ Farming feeds of 90% of flowering plants and one third of human food crops. Each of us depends on these industrious pollinators in a practical way to provide us with the wide range of foods we eat.
    [Show full text]
  • A Comparison of Pollinator Biodiversity Between Green
    A COMPARISON OF POLLINATOR BIODIVERSITY BETWEEN GREEN SPACES, INDUSTRIAL AREAS AND RESIDENTIAL LAND-USE ZONES IN URBAN, SOUTHERN ONTARIO A Thesis Presented to The Faculty of Graduate Studies of The University of Guelph by MARIANNA ELIZABETH HORN In partial fulfillment of requirements for the degree of Master of Science May, 2010 © Marianna Elizabeth Horn, 2010 ABSTRACT A COMPARISON OF POLLINATOR BIODIVERSITY BETWEEN GREEN SPACES, INDUSTRIAL AREAS AND RESIDENTIAL LAND-USE ZONES IN URBAN, SOUTHERN ONTARIO Marianna Elizabeth Horn Advisor: University of Guelph, 2010 Professor P. G. Kevan Pollinators, especially bees, have been suffering massive population declines. This project investigates abundance and diversity of bees in the urban setting. Twenty sites in Kitchener, Waterloo, Cambridge and Guelph, in four types of city land-uses (green, industrial, new residential and old residential) were assessed for the summers of 2007 and 2008. Three sampling techniques were used: pan traps, trap nests and netting, with yellow pan traps being the most effective in attracting bees. Over 107 species of bees from 25 genera were collected. DNA barcoding was used with limited success to identify specimens to the species level. Abundance and diversity of bees did not vary based on city land-use. Both abundance and diversity were higher at specific sites with naturalized areas. Strangely, bee diversity and abundance were also negatively correlated with plant diversity. Bee diversity was also higher earlier in the summer. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would like to express my deepest gratitude to my advisor for Peter Kevan for taking me in as a graduate student and for providing me with such wonderful learning resources.
    [Show full text]
  • The Vascular Flora of the Natchez Trace Parkway
    THE VASCULAR FLORA OF THE NATCHEZ TRACE PARKWAY (Franklin, Tennessee to Natchez, Mississippi) Results of a Floristic Inventory August 2004 - August 2006 © Dale A. Kruse, 2007 © Dale A. Kruse 2007 DATE SUBMITTED 28 February 2008 PRINCIPLE INVESTIGATORS Stephan L. Hatch Dale A. Kruse S. M. Tracy Herbarium (TAES), Texas A & M University 2138 TAMU, College Station, Texas 77843-2138 SUBMITTED TO Gulf Coast Inventory and Monitoring Network Lafayette, Louisiana CONTRACT NUMBER J2115040013 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The “Natchez Trace” has played an important role in transportation, trade, and communication in the region since pre-historic times. As the development and use of steamboats along the Mississippi River increased, travel on the Trace diminished and the route began to be reclaimed by nature. A renewed interest in the Trace began during, and following, the Great Depression. In the early 1930’s, then Mississippi congressman T. J. Busby promoted interest in the Trace from a historical perspective and also as an opportunity for employment in the area. Legislation was introduced by Busby to conduct a survey of the Trace and in 1936 actual construction of the modern roadway began. Development of the present Natchez Trace Parkway (NATR) which follows portions of the original route has continued since that time. The last segment of the NATR was completed in 2005. The federal lands that comprise the modern route total about 52,000 acres in 25 counties through the states of Alabama, Mississippi, and Tennessee. The route, about 445 miles long, is a manicured parkway with numerous associated rest stops, parks, and monuments. Current land use along the NATR includes upland forest, mesic prairie, wetland prairie, forested wetlands, interspersed with numerous small agricultural croplands.
    [Show full text]
  • A Vascular Plant Survey for Big Thicket National Preserve
    DRAFT FINAL REPORT Big Thicket National Preserve National Park Service Beaumont, TX A Vascular Plant Survey for Big Thicket National Preserve Principal Investigator: P.A. Harcombe Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Rice University Houston, TX 77005 National Park Service Cooperative Agreement CA14001004 May 29, 2007 - 1 - - 2 - INTRODUCTION The goal of the project was to produce verified inventories of vascular plant species (including ferns and fern allies) by unit in the Big Thicket National Preserve (BTNP), a part of the National Park System located in southeastern Texas in Hardin, Tyler, Polk, Liberty, Jefferson, Orange and Jasper counties. Collection efforts focused on the major units (Big Sandy, Hickory Creek, Turkey Creek, Beech Creek, Lance Rosier, Neches Bottom/Jack Gore Baygall, Beaumont). Owing to time constraints collecting in Loblolly Unit and Menard Creek was minimal, and no new collecting was done in the other corridor units (Pine Island Bayou, Upper Neches, and Lower Neches). Between June 2001 and December 2006, a database of 8095 specimen records was compiled. The database contains 1384 valid names representing 1264 distinct taxa in 536 genera and 146 families . From the database, final species and specimen tables were generated. A total of 7198 specimens were delivered to Dale Kruse, Curator, Tracey Herbarium at Texas A&M University (TAES) on April 6, 2007. In this report we describe methods used in constructing the database, the collectors, and the unit-level collection efforts. A species-by-unit table is presented; collection results are compared with Watson (1982), and there is an examination of variation in species richness among units.
    [Show full text]
  • A Guide to Local Native Plants Why Are Native Plants Important?
    A Guide to Local Native Plants Why Are Native Plants Important? This guide is an introduction the year, from intensely hot, dry to some of the more common summer months to cold winter native plants found within Essex months. There is a huge variety of County. You will find photos native plant species to suit any type and identification tips to help of conditions. They range from you identify locally common shade tolerant to sun-loving and native plants at all stages of their from drought resistant to species lifecycles, from newly emerged that thrive in wet conditions. Once plant, to flower to seed stage. We established, they require less have included helpful information maintenance and watering than on plant height and bloom period non-native ornamental plants. They to help you plan your garden. You are long-lived and readily re-seed will also find the scientific names themselves, coming back year after listed at the top of each page so year. that you can be certain you are buying the true native variety With a good mix of native species, of the species from your local your garden will have colour nursery, rather than a selectively throughout the growing season, bred variant. with species that start blooming in the early spring and others Native plants are species that have that bloom well into October - been growing in a region since attracting pollinators all season before European settlement, have long! evolved with our climate and are well adapted to survive throughout Welcome! ERCA DRCC The Essex Region Conservation The Detroit River Canadian Authority (ERCA) was established Cleanup (DRCC) is a community- in 1973 to manage the natural based partnership initiated in 1998 resources of the Essex Region to clean up, enhance, restore in partnership with our member and sustain the Detroit River municipalities and the Province of ecosystem.
    [Show full text]